At that, the creature collapses to the ground, dead.
At the passage of the great cat a sudden chill shimmers through the black-walled room and an inescapable sens of dread seems to reach out to those within the chamber....
Yasala takes a deep breath as the cat goes down and leans on her sword for support. As she tries to get a short rest she starts to shiver.
Feeling the sharp claws fall of him Bjoern feels the dread fall for him.
Quickly taking the teeth of the cat as trophy to strengthen his resolve, and failing, Bjoern sheaths his short blade and picks up his long steel.
"I have a bad feeling about this. This is abad place!"
Patenemheb sees the beast fall, and then the shimmer. He tries to understand it even as it occurs.
At 3rd level, a scholar gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus against attacks made by traps. These bonuses increase by +1 every three scholar levels. Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.
Bjeorn feels the wave of fear wash over him and he drops his weapon and runs bellowing past his companions and charges up the stairs; the madness of a supernatural terror gripping him.
Even as he does he notices Samir has dropped his scimitar and is also charging up the stairs in a mad dash...
At this time there is severe commotion on the other side of the chamber...
Tairin, sensing the commotion and noting Bjeorn and Samir have charged cries out in a dark and mysterious voice - "Ichtafa!"
She does not bother to mask the gestures she makes with her hands; but as the word is uttered a black mist seems to veil her, if only for a moment, and she vanishes...
You do not know where the fear is coming from, but something on the far side of the chamber, a large statue, is likely the location of such a source of power. Yet without a closer inspection, you cannot be wholly sure...
The fact that these men came to this place with a tame lion seems a strange choice; it is a strong animal for combat, but not one that is typically used as a pet.
You recall Tairin speaking of how spirits of the gods and the dead are warded by cats.
As soon as the lion was slain you felt the power of the fear assail you. You believe that the lion - the great cat - was probably used as a means of warding what mystical power may be in this place.
You also recall earlier when you and Tairin entered; you felt the fear then, but not now... Yet with the death of the great cat, you believe that the fear has returned.
Even so; you believe that Tairin, who is currently carrying the kitten within her shawl, is holding a living "ward" against the fear of this place - and that, likely, the tiny kitten provided a ward which bolstered the courage of those who stood besides her.
You do not know, but you suspect, that the further one gets from this cat the weaker its power is in protecting against this fear.
Thus; you suspect that folk like Samir and perhaps even Talar may have had some residual boon to their willpower against such fear; yet not nearly as great as Bjeorn, Yasala and yourself - who stood near to the tiny kitten; and likely Tairin herself had a greater boon as she held the kitten.
But now she is gone; vanished, as if with a spell... You do not know why, but you suspect the sounds of noise on the far side of the room prompted her to use that spell and so chose another place to hide.
Your suspicion that she has not formally left the room or been spirited away is heightened due to the fact that her ghostly lights remain...
An enemy may have seen her in the lights; but that same enemy may have assumed she simply fled up the stairs. As to where she is now?
You do not know...
A sudden shout and you see rushing from the far side of the chamber where the walls seem to circle a black opening four men come charging forward.
While they all have quivers filled with arrows none of them are carrying bows.
Further, they have scimitars and daggers at their belts, but they seem to be ignoring the fact that they are carrying these weapons.
Letting out shrieks or terror they charge for the far side and dash past Yasala, Paten on the stairs.
The two remaining men stare you and one of them, dressed in far finer garb then his companion calls out -
"They are no emissaries; they must be of that devil cult of Yadar - slay them all before they destroy us!"
Both men lift their bows and fire - but it is clear that they, too, are shaken...
Bjeorn; you stand at the entrance to the temple, breathing heavily, but now you are only considered Shaken
Four men have rushed from the depths of the stairwell and stand before you, panting and gasping. They are huddled on the far side of the chamber - the nearest one is 30 feet from you, the furthest is 40 feet from you.
You're able to act while above - the others below.
Remember; even though you made your Willpower Saves below, you are still considered Shaken.
Your move...
Startled by the group of men rushing towards her, Yasala heaves her sword up and strikes out them.
(+2 more vs civilized; +4 more vs decadent)
(+2 more vs civilized; +4 more vs decadent)
When it registers that they are fleeing and not attacking, she immediately switches her attention to the two men who remain. She carefully stalks towards them to close the distance, ready for more arrows.
Patenemheb does not act to strike at the fleeing men, having an idea of the source of their flight.
When the pair begin attacks, he calls out to them in Sushranite:
"We are no servants of Yadar! Cease your attacks immediately!"
Likely a foolish attempt but one worth making to perhaps gather more knowledge on what is going on here.
Looking at the other panting men he looks at the tiny kukri in his hand, back at the men. Circling the blade in his wrist he manages a grudging smile."Run, or die!"
Talar jerks away from the arrow, raising his own bow in anticipation, but pausing at Paten's words. "We are no cult worshipers, cease your attack or die!" He shouts.
Using the silently swirling, magical darkness around her form, Tairin (with Sabra stowed safely within her shawl pouch) stealthily moved down between the next pillars; knowing her spell would not remain in place long and seeking cover, from the bowmen, via the marble pillars and shadows.
With scorpion whip in her true hand, she carefully gestured with her off hand by her side to move the four dancing orbs closer to the two remaining men by the circular wall; hoping the light would grant better sight to her companions in case the chamber quickly erupted into combat.
Then remaining still, cloaked in darkness and supported by stone, Tairin waited between the pillars; her posture defensive and ready to lash out or trip any enemy that would come within reach. As Patenemheb had already spoken to the two men, Tairin remained silent for now; wondering if they would be wisely accept her countryman's words or foolishly attack. Upon Bjoern's and Talar's subsequent threats, she merely frowned out of sight to any in the chamber.
"We are no servants of Yadar! Cease your attacks immediately!"
The man's eyes flick to Talar and Yasala, then he listens to Paten's words, but clearly he does not seem to believe them.
Talar jerks away from the arrow, raising his own bow in anticipation, but pausing at Paten's words. "We are no cult worshipers, cease your attack or die!" He shouts.
Despite Talar's words it is clear that the man is not willing to believe such claims. At least - not yet...
"Destroy them before they try to slay us!" he cries out, his voice tinged with a raw sense of terror.
You believe that this man is afraid that you are a threat to him; the words so far have not convinced him. You believe if you try again with him you may be more successful if your company does not try to attack, despite the fact that they are attacking you currently...
Looking at the other panting men he looks at the tiny kukri in his hand, back at the men. Circling the blade in his wrist he manages a grudging smile."Run, or die!"
The men do not argue; paid to guard a man they abandoned like cowards they have no reason to linger, preferring to flee rather than risk their lives.
Looking back at the entrance.... Bjoern takes every ounce of resolve to return to it. To his blade... to his friends.. to his mistress!
Yasala glances back at Paten and signals to him to hold a bit longer, then takes one more step forwards and stops, continuing to merely defend herself. She looks forward at the two men. "We would rather speak than fight. I will come no closer if you will listen to my friend's words and cease with the bows. If you shoot even one more arrow however, the offer ends."
My wounds are nothing that I cannot repair, though the pain is considerable.
Patenemheb shudders under the pair of blows. Trying to dodge, he calls:
"As my companion says, we mean you no harm. Desist immediately!"
He's mad. Talar thinks as Paten continues negotiations. He slowly puts his drawn arrow away, but grabs another one that has a 'T' notched in the shaft.
The man before holds his hand up and calls out -
"Hold, Arash," he says to the man near him and his eyes narrow.
"My companions and I are simple travelers come to pay tribute to this temple," he says with a flat voice, his eyes grinding into you.
The story is clearly false, but the man you believe is Osan is obviously providing you fake details until he learns more about you. However, it is clear he is ordering his bodyguard to cease the attack and prepared to learn more before continuing to fight you.
"Who are you and why have you slain my friend," he says with a nod of his head at the dead lion by the stairwell "and what do you want?" he presses, his eyes grinding in to you all, despite the fact that the bulk of his men have fled and you clearly outnumber him.
As you listen to him you observe that Bjeorn, followed by Samir, have returned somewhat nervously down the stairs and have entered the chamber.
Rushing back and stumbling once even stumbling twice Bjoern joins the others.
Absentmindly rubbing his knee he slowly adds himself so not to spoil the discussion and slowly picks up his blade
As the potential opponents start talking, Yasala takes a less threatening posture but keeps her blade in her hands. She waits patiently for those who are more diplomatic to start to parley but remains alert for any trickery and maintains her position between the men and Paten.
Your friend? Talar looks confused for a moment, then realization hits and he shows sorrow. "The lion, it was your companion?" He asks quietly.
Patenemheb levels his eyes at the man coolly. As if he were surveying inscriptions, not standing in a tomb-temple bleeding from multiple wounds.
The wounds sting, but the balance has shifted back towards us with Bjeorn's return. And this man's reliance on the slain beast revealed.
"I am Patenemheb of the Kingdom. My companions and I have reason to investigate this place. Speak of what you came here for."
A gambit.
"Vengeance, perhaps?", he adds, as if casually.
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The delicate swirls of dark mist seemed to part around Tairin and then evaporated in silent grace, leaving only the engulfing shadows to veil the Yar-Ammonite between the pillars. She continued to remain still and watchful as Patenemheb addressed the men.
Then stepping just out of the deeper shadows; whip in one hand, stroking Sabra's ebony head with the other, Tairin looked to her people and then the two men by the circular wall.
In soft, silky voice she said, "I am sorry about your lion guardian. It attacked my companions and they merely defended themselves. If our discourse goes smoothly and we leave this place unharmed, then we will recompense you for the brave kitty."
Then holding herself regally and gracefully, Tairin added in Susrahnite, "We were searching for a missing companion and noted the carrion birds over this place and were suitably intrigued to investigate. When we entered the Moon temple, we discovered your lion and then you and your men. I am Tairin, daughter of Hem-Netjer-Tepi Chefren of the Royal House of Yar-Ammon. These temples and this site are sacred to my people. With all the dead beyond the valley, I was not expecting to see anyone alive this night. It is good that you did not suffer the same fate as those poor, unfortunate souls. Your lion was certainly a boon, as is my Sabra." Once more she gave a silky smile, not taking her eyes off the two (especially if one was indeed Osan). "May we know your names and titles? Such propriety pleases me and I am certain it does you, as well." Tairn's smile does not falter.
Your friend? Talar looks confused for a moment, then realization hits and he shows sorrow. "The lion, it was your companion?" He asks quietly.
Osan turns a glance toward Talar.
"It was," he says, then studies Talar as if gauging his gear and face.
"You are a countryman, not like these outlanders. Why should you seek to assail me? I and my companions have done you no harm... even my beast; he fought hard with you, but though he may have killed your northern ally, he chose not to - seeking to wound you rather than slay you outright before he was killed. Why should you seek me harm?" he prompts.
"I am Patenemheb of the Kingdom. My companions and I have reason to investigate this place. Speak of what you came here for."
A gambit.
"Vengeance, perhaps?", he adds, as if casually.
Osan's eyes narrow as he responds.
"Patenemheb of the Kingdom; my business here is my own."
"You and the ruffians you travel with have elected to pursue me and my companions into this place, slaughter my pet and make demands of why I should be here?"
He glances at the folk before him, his eyes searching the stairs beyond, as if looking for the other men who had aided him but have yet to return.
He shivers a bit, as if a chill air has gripped him, and glances at the company.
"I and my allies came here to meet folk; no doubt they are en route... their reaction to you shall likely depend on what happens between us next..." he says after a moment, eventually answering the question.
In soft, silky voice she said, "I am sorry about your lion guardian. It attacked my companions and they merely defended themselves. If our discourse goes smoothly and we leave this place unharmed, then we will recompense you for the brave kitty."
Osan turns a glance at Tairin and his hand suddenly falls to his sword hilt with a nervous motion, but he stills the seeming need to draw his blade and lifts his hand and wipes beading perspiration on his forehead instead.
”We shall see…” he says slowly, his eyes flicking beyond Tairin to stare the stairway beyond them as if seeking for someone.
Then holding herself regally and gracefully, Tairin added in Susrahnite, "We were searching for a missing companion and noted the carrion birds over this place and were suitably intrigued to investigate. When we entered the Moon temple, we discovered your lion and then you and your men. I am Tairin, daughter of Hem-Netjer-Tepi Chefren of the Royal House of Yar-Ammon. These temples and this site are sacred to my people. With all the dead beyond the valley, I was not expecting to see anyone alive this night. It is good that you did not suffer the same fate as those poor, unfortunate souls. Your lion was certainly a boon, as is my Sabra." Once more she gave a silky smile, not taking her eyes off the two (especially if one was indeed Osan). "May we know your names and titles? Such propriety pleases me and I am certain it does you, as well." Tairn's smile does not falter.
The man stares at the black cat nestled in Tairin’s arms.
The other turns to him and speaks in a muted voice –
”She was wise enough to bring a feline to this place; perhaps she speaks the truth about her intentions here?”
Osan mutters back.
”Yar-Ammonites worship strange gods, some say they follow a strange goddess with the head of a cat, yet mark how she speaks of Shir; clearly she has an affinity for cats, so this may merely be coincidence…”
”I am called Osan; as for my title? I serve at the pleasure of the bey of Zul-Bazzir,” he says in response, but does not give any title other than that.
”This man is a… traveling companion,” he adds, not giving the man a name and being intentionally vague.
”Well… now we know something of each other,” he says, glancing at your party with a tense edge in his voice ”what are your intentions?”
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Tairin readily overheard the hushed conversation between the two men and simply smiled. In a soft voice she merely answered, "The gods of the Kingdom are many, varied and powerful, it is true. And we do honour our felines for they are our protectors and guardians. This is a dark place and not only for the stone used in the temple's walls and floors.", she murmured as if she were merely remarking on the temple's design and materials and not suggesting anything more insidious.
Tairin cast her eyes about the space, hoping to discover the source of the gnawing fear/tension in all of them, but most markedly upon Osan and his 'travelling companion'. With a small flick of her finger/s, she moved the four small dancing lights about the chamber, hoping the light would reveal something hidden or obscured by the darkness and deeper shadows.
Turning slightly and obscuring her hand motions from the general view of the two men, Tairin motioned toward the dark passage/opening behind Osan and the other, whispering "Iktishif Sihri" to discern any magical energy present and coming from beyond the circular wall (behind the men).
”I am called Osan; as for my title? I serve at the pleasure of the bey of Zul-Bazzir,” he says in response, but does not give any title other than that.
”This man is a… traveling companion,” he adds, not giving the man a name and being intentionally vague.
”Well… now we know something of each other,” he says, glancing at your party with a tense edge in his voice ”what are your intentions?”
The man, Osan, was being deliberately vague in relation to his travelling companion and Tairin wondered why. Yet, she kept her face composed/passive so as to not alarm them any further then they already were. She was certainly feeling jittery in the pits of her stomach, yet Sabra's presence/comfort certainly kept the waves of fear and tension from overwhelming her mind and body. With their cave lion gone, they are harried.
Keeping her voice/tone quiet and soothing, Tairin responded to the man's question. "We do not wish to harm you or your companion, if that is of a concern to you, Osan, emissary of the Bey. If you wish to leave this place, we shall not interfere. If you wish an escort from this temple, I would gladly see my personal guards aid you out and across the valley since you no longer have your beautiful lion."
Talar gets a pained expression on his face as he thinks of what he would do if he lost Ramul. "I...I am sorry. It fought bravely, and ferociously. It nearly killed me before I realized I was in trouble. What we did was out of self preservation, we thought it was the creature's life or ours."
Talar hears the words but keeps his silence.
"There is an unnatural fear upon us all, let us rise above it and not fall to any more butchery than has already been done."
Patenemheb eases some tension out of his own voice.
"Kind kinswoman, we should speak longer. This matter is not yet settled. They are still of interest."
He turns back to face Osan, ignoring Talar's remorse over the lion.
"Unnatural fear does permeate this place. Know ye ought of its origins?"
Yasala continues to maintain her position as a buffer between the two groups who are now at least being civil to each other. As Bjeorn returns she glances back and signals to him to make sure that he is not going to jeopardize the current truce.
As the others speak she tries to follow their conversation. Most of the talk about the benefits of felines is beyond her knowledge, and having such a connection to an animal is not something she has experienced, so she begins to tune it all out. However, the offer to let Osan leave shocks her back into the conversation. "Miss, it is kind of you to offer to let these men leave, but I agree with Paten. We should speak more and understand what is happening here before we part ways."
She shudders a bit as the topic changes to the feeling permeating the room. "Osan, as the others have stated, there does seem to be an aura of fear in this temple. Do you know its cause or what might be done to alleviate this effect?"
, "The gods of the Kingdom are many, varied and powerful, it is true. And we do honour our felines for they are our protectors and guardians. This is a dark place and not only for the stone used in the temple's walls and floors.", she murmured as if she were merely remarking on the temple's design and materials and not suggesting anything more insidious.
”Aye, then why should you destroy the source of our protection,” growled the mercenary.
”Peace!” the one called Osan barks at the man with an imperious wave of his hand, then turns back and his eyes narrow as he studies the company, waiting to hear more.
This guy is supposed to be a chief servant to the Bey of this city. That might be true, but his entire demeanor and tone suggests someone who is far too confident; someone who is used to command and used to giving orders. While he might have achieved this confidence from ordering the likes of servants and underlings around – a distinct possibility given his position – something about his attitude makes you think he was someone more powerful and important before he became a manservant to the bey.
Of course, such an attitude would not be tolerated in the presence of nobles and lords in the city; likely he would act far more humble in their presence; but you suspect the fear of this place is making it hard for him to put on the act of seeming like a mere servant – in short; you think this is his real personality.
If that is correct; if you see him as he really is, you do not believe that he is formally a servant, you suspect that is merely an act to deceive those who would watch him. Who he tries to deceive, and why, you do not yet know, though you may learn of it if you learn more about him...
”It is a building untouched by time, unlike the ruins beyond the valley. Not even the diggers venture here; it is a safe place to meet and avoid observation…” Osan mutters, as if trying to justify the reasoning behind choosing this place.
”And it said that the in the ancient days of Yar-Ammon the gods of light and darkness fought; yet ever the dark gods retreated from the daughter of the god of light; the warrior goddess, whose descendants walk the realms of men today."
"Thus did I bring my companion; the one you have slain," he adds bitterly.
The “God of Light” is likely the god of the sun; it is said he had a daughter who was a warrior goddess who was the bodyguard of her father; she was the patron of Protection and her “offspring” were cats (she had a the head of a cat).
It is also said that her chief rival as an ancient demon of incalculable evil – but more information on that demon would require further study/lore checks…
Talar gets a pained expression on his face as he thinks of what he would do if he lost Ramul. "I...I am sorry. It fought bravely, and ferociously. It nearly killed me before I realized I was in trouble. What we did was out of self-preservation, we thought it was the creature's life or ours."
”Maybe so,” Osan retorts, as if unsure, but at least open to hearing more.
"There is an unnatural fear upon us all, let us rise above it and not fall to any more butchery than has already been done."
”Who knows where the fear hails from; yet while we waited to determine if you were those who we waited for we found a dark pit filled with bones beyond,” Osan says to Talar with a nervous jerk of his thumb at the sheltered area that he and his men lurked.
”I could peer into its depths and saw that some of the bones were not yet wholly picked clean; flesh still clung to some of them… I believe someone has cast the living into that grim hole less than a month ago…” he adds nervously.
"Unnatural fear does permeate this place. Know ye ought of its origins?"
The mercenary grunts at Paten’s response.
”Have you no ears? My lord has spoken of the pit yonder…”
Osan turns and growls at the man.
”Fool! Rotting corpses bloom on battlefields yet we do not feel such fear as that when we move among them. Assuredly they seek to know the presence of such a power, a power which hearkens from well beyond the existence of mere bodies!” he spits out.
She shudders a bit as the topic changes to the feeling permeating the room. "Osan, as the others have stated, there does seem to be an aura of fear in this temple. Do you know its cause or what might be done to alleviate this effect?"
Osan turns his glance to her.
”Would I know that, I should have rendered such things useless. This place is surely grim, but the fear did not grow until my lion was slain,” he adds.
Turning slightly and obscuring her hand motions from the general view of the two men, Tairin motioned toward the dark passage/opening behind Osan and the other, whispering "Iktishif Sihri" to discern any magical energy present and coming from beyond the circular wall (behind the men).
At the sound of the words in the chamber the mercenary stifles a curse while Osan’s eyes widen, but he says nothing, pausing only to take a moment to dab the perspiration off his upper lip.
Paten comes to her and offers some council as she peers at the stonework.
There, in the southern wall, is a strange statue of antiquity, nearly twenty feet in height. However, the head of the statue has been broken and cast down from its heights and foul carvings and strange writings scrawled in what looks like dried blood seem to mark it now.
As Tairin studies the statue she is able to make her observations, though whatever may be in the pit beyond is not yet known.
Even so, she turns and speaks to the man before her.
Keeping her voice/tone quiet and soothing, Tairin responded to the man's question. "We do not wish to harm you or your companion, if that is of a concern to you, Osan, emissary of the Bey. If you wish to leave this place, we shall not interfere. If you wish an escort from this temple, I would gladly see my personal guards aid you out and across the valley since you no longer have your beautiful lion."
Samir, hearing the words, steps up but remains silent.
Patenemheb eases some tension out of his own voice.
"Kind kinswoman, we should speak longer. This matter is not yet settled. They are still of interest."
Samir glances from Osan and his guard to Paten, but says nothing.
As the others speak she tries to follow their conversation. Most of the talk about the benefits of felines is beyond her knowledge, and having such a connection to an animal is not something she has experienced, so she begins to tune it all out. However, the offer to let Osan leave shocks her back into the conversation. "Miss, it is kind of you to offer to let these men leave, but I agree with Paten. We should speak more and understand what is happening here before we part ways."
Samir’s lips tighten somewhat.
Calling the others her “personal guard” would likely demonstrate to the man before her that she was powerful and important – let the man think that and he may be more inclined to believe in her value.
To show dissent among the party made them seem weak; such conversations should be done privately, even so – as the others have voiced their opinions he himself decides to intervene, hoping to distract Osan by going on the offensive with him.
If his words seemed harsh or barbaric then one of his allies would naturally “put him in his place”. Then, by knuckling under when they discipline him, they would seem more powerful. Further, anyone chastising him they would inspire Osan and his companion to look to that person with gratitude.
At least, he hoped that would seem clear…
”Enough of this talk,” Samir growls out, doing his best to dominate his own fear.
His hand lifts up his sword and it glints in the dim light in the room.
”We have wasted too much time talking of names and other nonsense while a task remains to be done,” he says, trying to be deliberately provocative, hoping that one of the others would criticize his attitude.
”We have come to this spot to find a gem of great value – one that we know you have stolen! If you value your life, tell us of where this gem is!” he adds with a growl and takes a step forward to the man Ossan.
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"Kind kinswoman, we should speak longer. This matter is not yet settled. They are still of interest."
"Miss, it is kind of you to offer to let these men leave, but I agree with Paten. We should speak more and understand what is happening here before we part ways."
Tairin's dark eyes settled first on her countryman, Patenemheb, and then the newcomer, Yasala. Her gaze remained intent as if willing them to understand her shrewdness; especially Patenemheb, and only smiled after a few seconds.
"Indeed, nothing was decided nor agreed upon. And none have left this chamber."
She returned to her examination with no other explanation or remark at this time.
"Sacrilege!", she proclaimed in low voice.
Tairin was piecing together her observations or attempting to as the chatter continued to move around her; especially the redundant repetition of the dead lion. Beneath her breath she quietly retorted in Susrahnite, "If I currently possessed the power to resurrect the dead, I would do so for the lion. Yes, it is unfortunately dead, and apologies have been made. Perhaps we could move past the event and concentrate on other matters."
With the mercenary's challenging remarks and Samir's surprising gambit, Tairin lifted her hand and uttered "Sus!"; the 's' sound deepening in the stone chamber much like a feline riled *hiss*.
Osan turns his glance to her (Yasala). ”Would I know that, I should have rendered such things useless. This place is surely grim, but the fear did not grow until my lion was slain,” he adds.
As if absently remarking, Tairin once again responded quietly, "It is not strange at all. In the Kingdom, we believe cats are sacred guardians of the Underworld, avengers of the gods and protectors of evil. If the fear was not as oppressing before, it is because the evil spirits could not circumvent the lion's natural and otherworldly protection. You were right to bring it into this place, like I have my own cat. Yet, if you wished it to remain alive, you could have readily commanded it to stay and not attack us and we could have talked to each other. Respectfully, there is blame to go around and nothing to be done about it now."
Tairin flicked her fingers again and the light orbs gracefully moved in the air to spread light on the statue and surrounds.
"Now, please listen." Her voice was a little louder so all the occupants could hear her words, but not too loudly lest it carry outside and be heard by any allies of Osan and his mercenary.
"In this place, there are two warring gods - Khonshu, the Moon God, and, Yadar, lord of deaths and secrets - and each struggling for dominion. The tall statue has been desecrated," lifting one of the dancing light orbs for the group to see, "Khonshu's stone head has been broken, destroyed, and has been replaced with the stone carving of Yadar. The statue has been defaced with crude profanities and insults against Khonshu and praising Yadar. There is very dark magic placed on this statue; resonating from the carving of Yadar. It is meant to adversely impact the statue of the Moon god, Khonshu, and is not directed at any who enter the chamber, based on its placement. Alas, since I believe it was one of Yadar's followers who cast the enduring spell to harm; the fear works only on the minds of those not faithful to Yadar and is being magnified by Khonshu, who is also a vengeance god, for he has yet to exact his own vengeance against the usurpers - the Yadaran cultists who calmed this desert temple ruin for their own. No one must touch, with bare hands, the idol carving of Yadar - to do so would bring on great suffering to the person. Yet, we must destroy this idol carving to extinguish the magical fear. My cat is aiding me against the evil at present, which is allowing me to think a little more calmly and rationally than the rest of you. The statue is over 15 feet, so perhaps Bjoern can lift me on his shoulders when the time comes to destroy the carving. Talar, the dagger I gifted you, that may help in destroying the idol for it was crafted by a servant of Yadar. I will need to think some more of the best way to destroy the idol carving because it is not wise to interfere between warring gods - the consequences could be dangerous and unpredictable."
Tairin drew breath and then pushed two of her dancing light orbs to the pit Osan had mentioned.
”...we found a dark pit filled with bones beyond,” Osan says to Talar with a nervous jerk of his thumb at the sheltered area that he and his men lurked. ”I could peer into its depths and saw that some of the bones were not yet wholly picked clean; flesh still clung to some of them… I believe someone has cast the living into that grim hole less than a month ago…” he adds nervously.
"The grisly pit is full of sacrificial victims. The cultists of Yadar have been performing dark rites in this Moon temple and it angers me and the Moon god. It does not surprise me that travelling folk will not draw near or enter this place for if they do, they may never leave again - being overcome with fear and then slain and thrown into the pit by Yadar's faithful. I would not jump into that pit until we are sure there is nothing down there among the bones and decaying flesh. Disease could also be present if the decomposing bodies have been piled there for a month."
"When we came upon this valley, our party noted that on the eastern side of the valley there were remains of a priest to the Sun god. Surely, in this temple, there must housed the remains/bones of a priest of the Moon god, yes? He would not have been tossed into a hole in the ground, such as that pit. There would be a fine burial chamber and sarcophagus. If we could find these priestly remains or chamber, there could be something useful in cleansing this temple. There were other stairways that we have not yet explored and I think it wise if both our parties worked together to discover this priest's burial place because it would benefit us both and be a conciliatory effort."
”We have come to this spot to find a gem of great value – one that we know you have stolen! If you value your life, tell us of where this gem is!” he adds with a growl and takes a step forward to the man Osan.
Not having addressed Samir's earlier outburst, Tairin merely added openly (and almost casually) to Osan and his companion, "Emeralds can be rather pretty and valuable. My guard does not mean to threaten your lives, for we are not common thugs or assassins," looking to Samir, Tairin merely *tsked* in seeming disapproval. "His curiosity simply got the better of him. However, he should have waited for his superiors before making such an outburst. Samir, I am most displeased;" placing strong emphasis on the final word for clever impact; hoping Samir would understand and continue to play along. Tairin then cast a calming look to Bjoern, hoping her Bearish bodyguard would not charge forward with his great sword and destroy all her best laid plans.
"Best we locate the Moon priest's burial chamber before any other travellers come here this night to disturb or harm us. My beloved Sabra will aid us, too. Let us not spill more blood in this place - the gods are unhappy and angered, as am I. What say you all? Strangers may work together for a common goal based on mutual good will, yes? Trust we'll discover afterward, if all goes well. We cannot permit Yadar's faithful to triumph here. The rightful gods must be appeased. My Yar-Ammonite ancestors demand this."
===
===
Yasala listens as Tairin explains the desecration of the statue and the benefits of a feline companion in such a place. As she watches the give and take, she realizes that Tairin is trying to pass some kind of message to the group, catching her subtle gazes and word choices. Not knowing the woman very well Yasala is unsure of exactly what these hints might mean. Pondering how the situation is developing, she realizes her best action is to simply follow along and support Tairin as well as she can.
"You are more knowledgeable of these matters than I, my lady. I shall follow your lead, if these men agree to work with us in the matter. I believe there were other staircases leading down from the room upstairs, that would be a good place to start looking."
When Samir begins his outburst about the gem, she tenses and readies for a fight, but when Tairin rebuffs him she forces herself to calm down and try to defuse the situation. Hoping that Osan and his mercenary will follow suit, she sheathes her sword and takes an unthreatening stance, while still remaining between the two strangers and the rest.
Upon seeing Tairin's face, and hearing her words to Osan and his companion, he believes that he now understands her plan.
Ah, Tairin, your webs are subtle. I shall do my best to prepare the flies. And truth shall be my means.
Facing Osan, he adds softly after Yasala:
"It would indeed be wise for us to act together to end this violation of the divine order. Khonsu would surely not forgive us for abandoning this matter, now that we are aware of it. I fear the anger of the God of Vengeance over any man's displeasure."
Swiftly, he thinks upon how best to enact said vengeance on the image on Yadar.
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”And it said that the in the ancient days of Yar-Ammon the gods of light and darkness fought; yet ever the dark gods retreated from the daughter of the god of light; the warrior goddess, whose descendants walk the realms of men today."
Tairin had been pondering Osan's earlier words and had stilled her tongue on the matter until she could clear her thoughts and think upon her lessons and the stories she had been privy to since she was old enough to comprehend them.
Facing Osan and fixing her dark-eyed gaze on him, she quietly added,
"Your words have brought on a recollection of the stories of the gods Bast and Ra. Bast was the goddess of protection and cats and warrior daughter and defender of Ra, the Sun god, who sent her to fight his arch-foe, the dark and powerful demon, Apep. Apep held domain over darkness, chaos, storms, night, the Underworld and death and was depicted as a fifty foot serpent possessing great strength. In archaic tales, it is said that Apep had been a chief god, not some lesser godling, and because of this, he possessed a fierce anger toward Ra. Each night Ra, the Sun, would pass into the realm of the Dead and battle with Apep; winning every battle except on the rare days the Sun was devoured by the Moon. The people of the Kingdom made wax and clay idols of Apep and burnt, defaced or spat upon him, instead of worshiping him. There have been paintings in my homeland of Apep being attacked by a cat, Bast, as Ra's guardian. Bast would protect Ra on his journey through the realm of the Dead every night. If the demon god were to meet the embodiment of Bast, there would be a reckoning. To cross paths with such an embodiment of Bast would take vast good fortune as it is rare for such creatures to cross paths with mortals. However, we must be wary of the great snake."
Having driven the point home in her subtle way, Tairin turned as her companions spoke.
"You are more knowledgeable of these matters than I, my lady. I shall follow your lead, if these men agree to work with us in the matter. I believe there were other staircases leading down from the room upstairs, that would be a good place to start looking."
Facing Osan, he adds softly after Yasala: "It would indeed be wise for us to act together to end this violation of the divine order. Khonsu would surely not forgive us for abandoning this matter, now that we are aware of it. I fear the anger of the God of Vengeance over any man's displeasure."
She sighed inwardly as Yasala and Patenemheb had sided with her gambit. She nodded and smiled, "Good, good. We should carefully investigate those stairways. And by remaining together, mortals in the presence of such godly disputes, we show strength, determination and delicate unity and allegiance. Sabra will warn us of the presence of any evil in this temple. As my dear kinsman has reminded us all, there is a God of Vengeance's wrath still to be unleashed and we do not wish to be marked by him."
Tairin then cast her eyes to Bjoern, Talar and Samir. "You are my physical might, with Yasala here. I do not wish the bloodshed of our collective, for there is a greater battle of wits and might waiting in the darkness. Place grievances and enmity to the side," and she turned, deftly accentuating the message to Osan and his mercenary man.
That man is more than he seems, he is playing himself down. But here his personality is true. Talar is unhappy they are dealing with a trickster, but at least his facade is gone for now.
”Would I know that, I should have rendered such things useless. This place is surely grim, but the fear did not grow until my lion was slain,” he adds.
"Wait." Talar's eyes go wide in recognition. "You said it was important to bring in a cat among you? Perhaps..." He glances at Tairin who has her own.
As Tairin continues negotiations, Talar holds his spot with wary eyes. He continues to support her, trusting her way with words and what her plans will lead to, even if he doesn't fully understand it. If there was to be violence, she would make it abundantly clear, and if Samir's example was anything to go by than presuming violence be default was a foolish stance.
He does chime in briefly on destroying the statue. "The legends say we cannot touch it, correct? Can we simply smash it with our weapons from arm's reach?" He ponders aloud.
"Unity means that we stand a chance against avoiding the worst of the wrath of the divine." Patenemheb further intones.
Osan looks around between each of the members of the company and shrugs somewhat.
"You are resolved to remove that cursed symbol of Yadar from the statue, it seems," he says with a forced nonchalance.
"For myself, replacing one god with another is of little matter; yet as we wait in the temple of a Yar-Ammonite god it seems wise to placate the being who the temple was made for," he adds.
The cult of Yasala has made sacrifices in this place before; you are sure of it. The pit with the rotten corpses causes you to believe that bodies have been cast into it for the purpose of appeasing their dark god.
Whatever you do to their statute, the members of this cult will likely remember it - and, perhaps not without irony - will seek to avenge it.
Destroying the idol will likely cause those oracles or versed in divination belonging to the cult of Yadar to feel its destruction, no matter where they may be. Once it is destroyed you believe that it would be wise to leave this place as soon as you can.
You are only an hour or so from the city gates; but it would not take members of that dark cult long to come for you if they can sense the presence of the destruction of their idol. It would take you roughly half an hour to reach the far side of the valley and then another half hour to reach the horses you have on the far side of the valley; further, if you rode your horses fast for the city you might see such cultists approaching on the road to the south-east even as you rode north-west.
If you wish to be safe, once this thing is done, you must flee swiftly...
The guard besides Osan seems somewhat nervous, wiping his hands against his coarse linen trousers, drying the sweat from his palms.
"If they want to trifle with that gods damned idol that is their business, My Lord, but what do you wish to do now?" he asks, his eyes flicking to the stairs.
Osan wipes his wrist across his brow and scowls.
"We have allies who are yet to arrive; we do not need to wait for them in this... this place," he says with a tense voice.
"Come; let us ascend in to the chamber above. There we can see the approach of our allies with greater ease and... and the air shall be more fresh," he adds stiffly, clearly not worried about the air as much as he is about getting away from these dark chambers.
He and the guard move stiffly to the stairs, but the compulsion of Tairin's diplomacy, coupled with the aid of Yasala and Paten, the man elects to pause at the stairway.
"Do what you must here; I and my companion shall await you above," he adds with elaborate courtesy.
Despite his nervousness you are certain that he speaks the truth and is not planning on deceiving you; the diplomatic skills you have provided seem to have done their work.
Before he exits the place he lowers himself to the slaughtered corpse of the lion and brushes the heavy brow gently, then leans in and kisses the forehead of the slain beast once.
Then he stands up swiftly and he and his aid hurry up the stairs, the light of their torches receding.
Samir watches them go with a frown.
He seems ready to say something but, at the last moment, he elects to change what he has to say.
"Well, does anyone have any rope?" he asks the others as he looks at the statue.
Talar's sadness returns as he sees Osan say farewell to the lion. He bows his own head. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. You were a magnificent creature. May your hunts in the afterlife be fruitful.
"Well, does anyone have any rope?" he asks the others as he looks at the statue.
As Samir studies the statue, Yasala watches Osan head up the stairs. She places her hand on Samir's shoulder to get his attention.
"Please forgive my interruption, but I'm not sure that's the best idea for right now. Although we may end up having to destroy the idol, I think that Tairin's plan of finding the moon priest's burial chamber may be less dangerous. It will also allow us to work alongside Osan." She gestures towards the pair that are already on the staircase. "He seems to be amenable to a truce, but I don't fully trust him and I'm wary of what might happen if he meets with his contact unsupervised. Let's head up with them and come back to the idol if Tairin's plan does not bear fruit."
Hearing Yasala's words, Tairin gave an approving nod. "Sound reasoning, Yasala."
Then in quiet, yet authoritative voice, Tairin said, "We will first search the temple for the hidden burial site of the Moon priest. Perhaps there we shall discover something to aid us in cleansing the temple of Yadar's influence. To take the wrong action now would mean we have involved ourselves in the dispute between gods and we do not know the consequence. Best we leave the removal of the idol head for after our search."
"Come, let us move to the stairs and follow behind Osan and his companion. It is wise that we stay together in this temple for there is strength in numbers. Let us go. And watch out for any other visitors this night."
Tairin flicked her wrist and fingers, moving the four magical, dancing light orbs toward the stairs so they would not have to travel in darkness. Sabra, with head still peeking out from the shawl pouch gave a soft *meow* and Tairin called out to Bjoern and Yasala to lead the party, then began to climb the stairs, keeping her eyes on the retreating torchlight of Osan and his man, so she would not lose of sight of them either. Her eyes cast about for any sign of a burial site, traps or other noteworthy things.
Bjoern unslings a rope from his belt and hands it forward.
"That good enough?"
Patenemheb raises a hand and in a soft voice speaks.
"If we are to amble about, or take our time, we must do so *before* the fall of the statue. As soon as it is smashed, diviners sworn to Yadar will surely know of it immediately. We are an hour from the city gates. It will not take them as long to reach us. We must be prepared to fend off their fury, or take pains to flee and hide swiftly."
Shortly after, and when facing away from Osan and his man, the scholar whispers to Tairin and Bjoern in Tharag Thulan, a language he doubts Osan or his man know.
"A half hour for us to reach the far side of the valley, another half hour for us to reach the horses...it would be tight but I think we can do it. If we ride fast north-west for the city we might see such cultists approaching on the road from the south-east. Regardless, we *must* be ready."
A note for the future: ensure that all companions of note have learned at least one less well known language, preferably more, so that we may converse in greater security.
"Please forgive my interruption, but I'm not sure that's the best idea for right now. Although we may end up having to destroy the idol, I think that Tairin's plan of finding the moon priest's burial chamber may be less dangerous. It will also allow us to work alongside Osan." She gestures towards the pair that are already on the staircase. "He seems to be amenable to a truce, but I don't fully trust him and I'm wary of what might happen if he meets with his contact unsupervised. Let's head up with them and come back to the idol if Tairin's plan does not bear fruit."
Samir glances at her and shrugs.
”Very well,” he says in response.
Bjoern unslings a rope from his belt and hands it forward.
"That good enough?"
Samir glances at Tairin and Yasala but pockets the rope.
”Wait; I thought we were going to explore the rest of the temple first – or have things changed now?’ he asks the group while Talar pays his respects to the fallen lion, even as Osan and his companion head upstairs.
Paten strides forward and glares at Samir.
"If we are to amble about, or take our time, we must do so *before* the fall of the statue. As soon as it is smashed, diviners sworn to Yadar will surely know of it immediately. We are an hour from the city gates. It will not take them as long to reach us. We must be prepared to fend off their fury, or take pains to flee and hide swiftly."
Samir glances from Bjeorn to Paten and holds up his hand.
”Very well – then we can wait to do that until later…” he mutters.
"We will first search the temple for the hidden burial site of the Moon priest. Perhaps there we shall discover something to aid us in cleansing the temple of Yadar's influence. To take the wrong action now would mean we have involved ourselves in the dispute between gods and we do not know the consequence. Best we leave the removal of the idol head for after our search."
"Come, let us move to the stairs and follow behind Osan and his companion. It is wise that we stay together in this temple for there is strength in numbers. Let us go. And watch out for any other visitors this night."
Samir shrugs and places Bjeorn’s rope in his pack and falls into line with the rest of the group as per their established marching order.
The company then follows up to where Osan and his guard are and they notice the two men crouched on the floor of the temple, trying to remain comfortable as they wait for the men they are supposed to rendezvous with.
The company advances to the north stair and then begin their descent down.
Much like the western set of stairs these travel down twenty-five feet and reach a landing.
However, as they come to the landing they discover something in the thick sand.
”What the hell is that?” Samir mutters from his place in the back, peering down into the gloom.
In the thick dust or sand you find the corpse of a dead man; you are not sure how old the body is, but the remaining flesh is dried out, as if it has been laying in the dust for a long time.
The flesh around the face and neck is gone; as it was burned away, leaving nothing but a grinning skull and a bone-white collar bone.
The cloth around the neck and upper chest is missing, but it looks like it was burned away; there are no clean cuts in the fabric. However, if it was burning with fire then the presence of dried, wispy strands of hair peeking from around the edge of the face and covering the back of the head is certainly confusing.
At his feet is a curved dagger in the dust. The hilt is a serpent which curves in a tight circle around it and at its base where the pommel rests is the head of the serpent. While the blade is steel and the hilt fashioned out of bronze, the pommel itself where the head of the serpent is appears to be carved out of a strange stone that would take some knowledge to properly identify it.
The blade itself is strangely disfigured, as if the tip and most of the edge have been twisted and melted in a furnace.
The robes of the individual are mostly intact (except for the parts around his neck and face) and they appear to be robes of a priest of Yar-Ammon, but they bear the glyphs and the symbol of the god of the sun upon it.
Sabra seems unphased by what is seen in the gloom, but her little nose wrinkles at the sight of something on the floor and she hisses angrily at it...
As the group heads down the north stairs, Yasala takes a look back at Osan and his guard and signals the group to pause as soon as they are out of sight.. "Do we trust them to stay at the entrance unmonitored? I still have runes on the entrance so that I will know when their contacts arrive or if someone leaves, but no way of seeing actions or hearing any discussions."
While waiting for a response, she hears Samir's exclamation and steps towards the mass, stopping as she realizes what it is and hears Sabra's hiss.
Moving more carefully, she investigates the immediate area, being careful not to touch the oddly damaged dagger.
She looks back at the two scholars while pointing at the robes. "I recognize that these symbols do not match what is normally on a Yar-Ammonite priest's garments, but unfortunately I do not have enough experience in that area to understand what this means."
"Do we trust them to stay at the entrance unmonitored? I still have runes on the entrance so that I will know when their contacts arrive or if someone leaves, but no way of seeing actions or hearing any discussions."
Tairin sighed inwardly; not for the question posed by Yasala, but for the fact they seemed to consistently face competing tasks and responsibilities everywhere they went.
"It would be good if we could listen to their conversation. Samir? You are light of foot and a fine scout. Go back to where Osan and his man are crouching in wait, find a suitable hiding place and once their contacts arrive, listen to their exchange. Do not engage them. If we are necessary, then come find and tell us immediately."
In quiet voice, she instructed the party, "All have a care not to touch or disturb the body or touch the serpent dagger. The powerful demon, Apep, is represented by a serpent, so I feel this is not a mere coincidence."
Tairin directed her four dancing light orbs closer to landing where the thick sand/dust was collected. Careful not to touch or disturb the area around the body or the corpse's bones/body, Tairin cast her healer's eyes over the form, hoping to determine the cause of death.
At his feet is a curved dagger in the dust. While the blade is steel and the hilt fashioned out of bronze, the pommel itself where the head of the serpent is appears to be carved out of a strange stone that would take some knowledge to properly identify it.
Not foolish, she refrained from touching the dagger, and instead examined the strange stone with her eyes in hopes of identifying it.
The robes of the individual are mostly intact (except for the parts around his neck and face) and they appear to be robes of a priest of Yar-Ammon, but they bear the glyphs and the symbol of the god of the sun upon it.
Tairin then moved her gaze to the robes of the priest, taking in the detail and glyphs in hopes of gaining more information about the dead man.
Hearing Sabra hiss and gaze upon the floor, Tairin's attention quickly turned in the same direction to determine the cause. She guided her dancing light orbs closer/over the area in question to bring more light with which to see. Is it threat or trap?
Talar wrinkles his nose at the corpse. "Burned somehow..." He moves up to help Tairin in examining the body.
As the group heads down the north stairs, Yasala takes a look back at Osan and his guard and signals the group to pause as soon as they are out of sight.. "Do we trust them to stay at the entrance unmonitored? I still have runes on the entrance so that I will know when their contacts arrive or if someone leaves, but no way of seeing actions or hearing any discussions."
Samir mutters from his place at the end of the line.
”What of this jewel he supposedly possesses? Is it meant as payment for his confederates… I am sorry, I do not wholly trust this man,” he says with a shake of his head.
"It would be good if we could listen to their conversation. Samir? You are light of foot and a fine scout. Go back to where Osan and his man are crouching in wait, find a suitable hiding place and once their contacts arrive, listen to their exchange. Do not engage them. If we are necessary, then come find and tell us immediately."
He nods.
”Very well; it shall be done,” and then slips away up the stairs into the darkness.
At this time Yasala, Tairin and Talar move to examine the corpse of the body before them.
She looks back at the two scholars while pointing at the robes. "I recognize that these symbols do not match what is normally on a Yar-Ammonite priest's garments, but unfortunately I do not have enough experience in that area to understand what this means."
Talar looks at the body with Tairin.
Talar wrinkles his nose at the corpse. "Burned somehow..." He moves up to help Tairin in examining the body.
Meanwhile, Tairin leans forward and considers it further, Talar’s aid helping with some observations, she also examines the dagger, noting Sabra’s reaction as well.
In quiet voice, she instructed the party, "All have a care not to touch or disturb the body or touch the serpent dagger. The powerful demon, Apep, is represented by a serpent, so I feel this is not a mere coincidence."
It is said that strange creatures live beneath the surface of the caverns. Some suggest that hideous beings that seem to possess no mind or the existence of any discernible mental faculties, only the raw desire to feed on living flesh compelled with what is deemed to be a diabolical will encouraging such creatures to seek out specific targets for unknown reasons.
Such creatures will often contort their hideous shape into gel-like substances – they appear as strange oozes or beings made of dark and stinking slime which reach out tendrils to assault the living.
It is indeed a burn; but not with fire. Instead, it seems to be of acid.
Based on what you are seeing with both the weapon and the face, you would think that the person before you used their weapon to stab into a vat or puddle of acid. If this is correct you would also suspect that this acid likely melted the metal of the blade.
Further, you believe that a stream of acid, or perhaps a very precise and specific splash of acid, hit the man full in the face. This acid burned the man’s face and flesh and likely burned or melted the cloth of the robes as well as the flesh and skin around his neck.
That this was acid-like seems logical as there is evidence of minor burns, but his clothes and gear did not catch on fire or burn as if it was fire.
As to how a specific stream or concentrated assault of acid would be able to strike so specifically at a target, you are not sure – but you are confident that something like acid had melted and twisted his blade and you believe that acid was also responsible for killing him.
Finally, you believe this corpse has been here for less than a month, but it is difficult to tell as the normal signs of decay (flies, maggots and so on) do not seem to feeding on it. It is as if even flies and maggots do not wish to linger in this temple…
The stone itself is easily recognized when studied. It is flint.
Flint is a very hard and sharp stone when cracked and was often used to make arrowheads, spear tips and small daggers. As to why it would be used to be carved in a round, smooth snake-head, and one that is on the pommel of the blade (not very convenient for stabbing) you do not know.
The robes are certainly bearing symbols of one aligned to the ancient Yar-Ammonite sun god. This god was considered good and generally well-loved. It was also the enemy of Apep.
That a priest would wear the robes of that god and carry the blade with the symbol of Apep is confusing, but it is likely that the priest was feigning allegiance to the sun god while worshipping Apep in secret. The dagger is likely his passport into a cult or congregation of dark worshippers of Apep – you believe he likely wore the robes to fool the faithful of the sun god and learn of their secrets.
It should be noted that the sun god was not worshipped in Yar-Ammon for some time. You have not seen any formal priests to the sun god, except for the one you meant in the temple district in Zul-Bazzir.
The goddess of cats is said to protect her father, the sun god, from the demon Apep. You do not know, but it seems likely, that Sabra is not afraid as much as being angry that a priest of the sun god (or more likely, a spy against their faith) would carry weapons that have the symbol of the sun god’s enemy upon it – especially one she is strongly opposed to.
As an aside, it is said that the demon Apep has a head made of flint. Therefore, it is not overly surprising that his effigies also have a head made of flint, even if it is not practical in combat.
Finally, you find it a bit ironic (though perhaps not) that a servant of the demon dedicated to the sun god, who would dare to wear the robes of the sun god, would meet his end in the temple of a god dedicated to vengeance.
Yasala nods to Samir in thanks as he heads back to keep an eye on the strangers. After examining the wounds on the body for a bit she moves past it and takes up a position where she can carefully watch the stairs past the landing, keeping an eye on the walls and ceiling as well as the stairs themselves. She speaks over her shoulder without taking her eyes from the passage ahead.
"Wounds like these lead me to believe that this man was attacked by some type of ooze. They often live in underground areas like this and can be quite dangerous. I will keep a watch in front if you wish to investigate the body further"
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Having listened to Yasala speak of underground ooze, which she had little knowledge of, Tairin made a mental note to keep her eyes out for the creatures. "Yes, let us be wary of such things. Thank you, Yasala."
She tapped her long, graceful fingers on her chin before speaking again, in a mindful, quiet manner,
"The flesh of face and neck have been burned away by acid and not fire. It appears he stabbed the dagger into a vat or puddle of acid and it is what melted the metal blade. This person must have been hit in the face by a stream or splash of acid; burning flesh and cloth and killing him. It appears the corpse has been here less than a month - but one cannot say for certain for the temple lacks the usual flies and maggots that would accompany a decaying body. Now, as to the dagger, the stone is flint; a very hard and sharp stone. As for the purpose of such a stone in the carved snake-head pommel - I do not know. It has been told that the demon, Apep, has a head made of flint. It is not surprising that his effigies also have a head made of flint; even though it is not practical for weapons of combat."
"The symbols of the robe belong to the Sun God of Yar Ammon. He was a good and beloved god and enemy of the demon, Apep. Such a priest would not be in the possession of a blade of Apep unless they were feigning allegiance to Ra, the Sun god, while secretly worshipping Apep. He possibly carried the blade to gain access into a cult or dark congregation of Apep. He wore the robes of Ra to gain access to the worshippers of the Sun god and learn their secrets. Yar-Ammonites in my homeland have not worshipped the Sun god for some time. I have only met one dedicated priest of the Sun god and it was only recently in the Temple District of Zul-Bazzir. That a servant of the demon masquerading as a servant of the Sun god, and wearing their priests' cloth, would meet his end inside the temple of the god of Vengeance is very telling, don't you think? I believe that Sabra; following in the footsteps of Bast, the goddess of cats and protector of her father, the Sun god, and being strongly opposed against the sun god's enemy, is not afraid but is angered by the deception of such a spy and enemy of the faith." Tairin's stroked the kitten's dark head in accord.
"Oozes are often acidic, so that would account for the damage to his weapon if he was defending himself. They also can form tendrils to strike with quite a bit of precision which might be why there are only burns on his face and neck."
Gazing at Yasala as she gave explanation on the assault tactic of the ooze, Tairin merely nodded and replied. "Then it appears this ooze you speak of; as servants of the god of Vengeance, Khonshu, killed the demon's agent."